Alan Campbell looks-on as Home Secretary Jacqui Smith hosts a burglary summit at the Home Office in London. She insisted that burglary does not have to rise in a recession

Almost four out of five serial burglars fail to get the minimum punishment laid down by the law, according to figures released by the Conservatives.

Only 21 per cent of burglars convicted for a third time were jailed for the minimum statutory sentence of three years, the statistics showed.

The Tories said convicted burglars were less likely to face any prison time at all under the Labour Government, quoting Ministry of Justice figures which showed the custody rate for burglary has fallen from 45.3 per cent in 1997 to 39.2 per cent.